Social justice, as one of the most fundamental concepts in Islamic thought, has consistently occupied a central place in intellectual discourse. Nevertheless, within contemporary discursive frameworks, this concept has often been reduced to compensatory and redistributive policies, while its structural and institutional dimensions have been largely neglected. The present study seeks to examine the position of cooperative economics in the thought of Ayatollah Martyr Dr. Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini Beheshti and to explain the reasons for its superiority over both free market and state centered economic models in achieving social justice.The findings indicate that, from Beheshti’s perspective, social justice cannot be realized solely through the redistribution of wealth; rather, it requires the reform of production structures and ownership relations. The free market economy, due to the dominance of capital, and the state run economy, because of its control over social structures, both constitute obstacles to justice. In contrast, cooperative economics—by emphasizing maximum participation, the fair distribution of opportunities, and the integration of labor and capital within a people oriented framework—provides a viable mechanism for realizing social justice in Islam. Accordingly, in this view cooperative economics is not merely a method for organizing economic activity; rather, it represents an institutional mechanism that connects labor, capital, and social responsibility within the framework of Islamic values. Reviving the intellectual framework of Martyr Beheshti and rethinking the functions of cooperative economics can open new horizons for justice oriented policymaking within the Islamic system.